Seeker: From what you have said about enlightenment, liberation, self-realization as God-realization and spirituality in general, I should like to follow Jesus the spiritual master who exhorted us not to be misled by blind guides. Can you help me to follow the enlightened master, Jesus Christ himself?
Guru: I shall try to do my best so that you realize that those who are willing to put their stakes with the master find him alone to be the only true Guru. Actually, the Guru in this dialogue is Jesus Christ himself as far as we are able to understand him.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Self-Realization
Seeker: How is self-realization the same as God-realization?
Guru: It would be same if the real self of man is attended to instead of the apparent self. Our usual concern in the world for wealth, fame, name, power etc. is determined by the apparent and false self generated by our own Ego. An antidote to this concern is seen in the Bible where Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If a person with wealth, fame, name, power etc. remains unaffected by them in his core being so much so that he or she will use them always for only truth, justice, compassion and service, such a person is poor in spirit. That kind of a person is already in the kingdom of heaven even here on earth with unlimited peace
of mind and unadulterated joy of heart. There we have true self realization that is equal to God-realization because the true self is enhanced negating the false and apparent one. In the Bible, kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God are one and the same. When we are a part of God's kingdom, we have realized our own true selves, which is nothing but God-realization. We participate in God's own being in the measure in which we are capable of given our human nature that is never taken away from us. We become divinized human beings. It means that our true nature is rooted in the divine without which we cannot even be genuine human beings. Thus self-realization is the same as God-realization.
Guru: It would be same if the real self of man is attended to instead of the apparent self. Our usual concern in the world for wealth, fame, name, power etc. is determined by the apparent and false self generated by our own Ego. An antidote to this concern is seen in the Bible where Jesus says: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. If a person with wealth, fame, name, power etc. remains unaffected by them in his core being so much so that he or she will use them always for only truth, justice, compassion and service, such a person is poor in spirit. That kind of a person is already in the kingdom of heaven even here on earth with unlimited peace
of mind and unadulterated joy of heart. There we have true self realization that is equal to God-realization because the true self is enhanced negating the false and apparent one. In the Bible, kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God are one and the same. When we are a part of God's kingdom, we have realized our own true selves, which is nothing but God-realization. We participate in God's own being in the measure in which we are capable of given our human nature that is never taken away from us. We become divinized human beings. It means that our true nature is rooted in the divine without which we cannot even be genuine human beings. Thus self-realization is the same as God-realization.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Liberation
Seeker: Can you guide me on how the way of liberation is open for everyone?
Guru: One simple way is what the Scriptures of various religions advise us to do for self-realization that is the same as God-realization. Here we must keep in mind the two senses of self that is involved: our true and real self as against the false and apparent self. The latter is a mere shadow that overshadows the former and is mistaken for the real. We may identify the former with God and the latter with the world and our false sense of Ego. The Bible asks us to seek the Truth that will set us free from bondage due to which we are bound in misery. There is an iseparable identification with Truth and God as there is one with Love and God. When we are under the sway of Truth and Love, we are liberated from the clutches of falsehood and hatred. This leads us to grow to our genuine nature full of happiness and joy. Seek after Truth and Love that is genuine for self-realization and liberation from the confines of our bloated nature infected by our own Ego and the world around us.
Guru: One simple way is what the Scriptures of various religions advise us to do for self-realization that is the same as God-realization. Here we must keep in mind the two senses of self that is involved: our true and real self as against the false and apparent self. The latter is a mere shadow that overshadows the former and is mistaken for the real. We may identify the former with God and the latter with the world and our false sense of Ego. The Bible asks us to seek the Truth that will set us free from bondage due to which we are bound in misery. There is an iseparable identification with Truth and God as there is one with Love and God. When we are under the sway of Truth and Love, we are liberated from the clutches of falsehood and hatred. This leads us to grow to our genuine nature full of happiness and joy. Seek after Truth and Love that is genuine for self-realization and liberation from the confines of our bloated nature infected by our own Ego and the world around us.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Liberation
Seeker: Can you explain how to lead one's spiritual life so that a true liberation from the false attractions of this world is achieved?
Guru: Although some general principles may be given, they will be of use to individuals if only they are taken in the background of each one's personal attitudes and problems. In general we may say that we can start with the reason for one's unhappiness as each one is by nature supposed to be happy. What has intervened during the course of our life in the world that has turned us into moody and unhappy persons from the level of simple joy and spontaneity of our own childhood? A reflection on this is the first step to attain liberation.
Seeker: What you suggest would imply that without psychological help we are not in a position to attrain liberation. To go into the past for analysis of one's problems would imply some sort of psychological intervention.
Guru: That kind of intervention may be required in extreme cases in the sense that one has messed up one's life so badly that outside help is needed. Otherwise, the way is open for everyone for liberation.
Guru: Although some general principles may be given, they will be of use to individuals if only they are taken in the background of each one's personal attitudes and problems. In general we may say that we can start with the reason for one's unhappiness as each one is by nature supposed to be happy. What has intervened during the course of our life in the world that has turned us into moody and unhappy persons from the level of simple joy and spontaneity of our own childhood? A reflection on this is the first step to attain liberation.
Seeker: What you suggest would imply that without psychological help we are not in a position to attrain liberation. To go into the past for analysis of one's problems would imply some sort of psychological intervention.
Guru: That kind of intervention may be required in extreme cases in the sense that one has messed up one's life so badly that outside help is needed. Otherwise, the way is open for everyone for liberation.
What Is Liberation?
Seeker: They say that a truly enlightened person is a liberated one. Is it so?
Guru: It is true provided you understand it properly. What do you want to be liberated from? Some would like to be liberated from their nagging wives and some children would like to be liberated from the clutches of their ever vigilant parents. If people have the notion of liberation based on their immediate need of getting rid of some inconveniences, we are not truly aiming at liberation. True liberation would not have landed them in those situations in the first place. We are here talking about a very fundamental kind of liberation from whatever binds us to the dictates of this world. It does not mean that we are ready to run away from the world. On the contrary, being very much in the world we should turn out to be masters instead of slaves to the compelling desires and requirements of the world. How to go about it is part of our spiritual life.
Guru: It is true provided you understand it properly. What do you want to be liberated from? Some would like to be liberated from their nagging wives and some children would like to be liberated from the clutches of their ever vigilant parents. If people have the notion of liberation based on their immediate need of getting rid of some inconveniences, we are not truly aiming at liberation. True liberation would not have landed them in those situations in the first place. We are here talking about a very fundamental kind of liberation from whatever binds us to the dictates of this world. It does not mean that we are ready to run away from the world. On the contrary, being very much in the world we should turn out to be masters instead of slaves to the compelling desires and requirements of the world. How to go about it is part of our spiritual life.
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